§ 2.53 p.m.
§ LORD LYLE OF WESTBOURNEMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government for what reason a Press release has been made available by the British Information Service in New York 1211 defending the various nationalisation schemes which have been enforced in Great Britain; and whether steps can be taken to discontinue propaganda of this kind and to leave the American public free to judge for themselves about such matters.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD HENDERSON)My Lords, it is part of the duty of the British Information Services in New York to supply material calculated to inform opinion in the United States of America on measures approved by Parliament. If the American public are fairly to judge developments in this country, they need to be informed as to the facts. Therefore, the British Information Services, as a matter of course, have from time to time made available to the American Press and public material explaining the working of the various nationalisation schemes which have been passed by the present Parliament. The Press statement issued on June 22 to which the noble Lord refers contained answers to questions frequently put by Americans in connection with the dollar drive. Among other matters, this statement answered in a brief paragraph, and in purely factual terms, the question: Are nationalised industries run by civil servants?
§ LORD LYLE OF WESTBOURNEMy Lords, arising out of that answer, may I ask whether, if His Majesty's Government have decided on the policy of spending the taxpayers' money in whitewashing the policy of nationalising British industries, they will also spend some of the taxpayers' money in putting the other side of the case?
§ LORD WOOLTONI shall be delighted to help the Government in this matter of supplying the other side.
§ LORD HENDERSONIt is no part of His Majesty's Government's policy to do that. There is no need for them to spend public money in whitewashing nationalised schemes.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONAs we are having copies of documents placed in the Library, could copies of these communications which have been made to the business world at large in America by His Majesty's Government also be placed 1212 in the Library for our information and instruction?
§ LORD HENDERSONCertainly; or if the House prefers it, I might have the statement inserted in the OFFICIAL REPORT with the answer.
§ LORD LYLE OF WESTBOURNEMy Lords, may I ask His Majesty's Government whether it is not absolutely futile to try and convince the Americans that nationalisation is a good thing?
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, in order to regularise the position—a position over which some of us have got into trouble before—I do not think it would be proper to append something now to a verbal answer. If my noble friend would put down a Non-Oral Question, then no doubt we could all see the reply in Hansard.